Cushion-wheel for vehicles.



J. F. MITGHLL. CUSHION WHEEL FQIPYEHIGLES.

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l mlm" J. P. MITCHELL. GUSHION WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION'I'ILED JULY 9, 1906.

' Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

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'CUSHION-WHEEL Fitt VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten aan. 95,1912.

Application met :my 9,1906. serial No. 325,331.

To all whom 'it 'nifty concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN F, MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the-county of Shawnee and State of' Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushion-Wheels for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates t spring or cushion wheels for automobiles, or other vehicles, in which it is desirable to conine the j ar to the ortion of the wheel and protect the axle om the vibration, which naturally follows the rigid construction of the wheel.

It is the. objectof this invention to prof vide cushion wheels which are not unsightly and which have the necessary istrength and simplicity of construction to makethem of commercial value;

In my improvements I provide a ,tnred exterior rim connected. by spokes to an interior rim, the latter being flexibly connected withl the hub 'and thereby with the shaft or axleby means 'of-springs.v

My invention 1s illustrated in the accorii-;`

panying drawings, forming partofthis speciicatio'n, in which Figure l is a plan of the wheelpermane I thereot being. shown in section. Fig. 2

shows a transverse section of the upper half and an Aelevation of thel lower half of the wheel. Fi 3 is a perspective view of one 1 of the cam tracks detached from the wheel.

Fig 4: a erspective view of the 'rollers for the' tracks, detached from the wheel; and

' Fig. 5 a perspective view of one of theleaf r the springs d and are-secured together bythe rivets e which bind the plates `upon-the springs in such a manner as to rigidly fasten them in the positions shown. I

Upon the outer or relatively movable ends ofthe springs d are secured the rollers f,

preferably pivoted upon the spindles These rollers are adapted to bear upon the inner face of an elliptical track h, having a gap or slottherein, on the side facing 'the u throughwhch the springs d. extend,

more gradual acceleration.-

It will be observed that the springs inter.- l100 the rollers f being so mounted that they will;

Abear upcn the inner face of the elliptical track beyond the `sides of the gap This elliptical track is, preferably, secured to the casings y' by bolts at lc.

The outer portion of the wheel may be of any desired construction, but is here shown with a rubber tire upon a rim l, the latter being attached to the above mentioned' casings j through the spokes m and the intermediate rim n. In order to completely inclose the moving-parts of thefwheel, the casing b is made to fit closely outside the casing j, the latter being provided'with a groove c,

which may be lled with anydesired packing, such as felt, to prevent dustfrom'entering the working parts' of the Wheel.

In .the operation of this device, when the wheel is suddenly Yforced upward by striking a raised portion in the roadway, the rollers f upon the lower side Aof the wheel roll upon the. inner face ofthe elliptical track, which is farthestaway from the hub,

while the rollers upon the upper side of the wheel roll upon the inner face of the elliptical trackwhich is nearest the hub. It

will be seen that in so doing bot-h the upper and lower springs, which are normally under considerable moment, are further detlected and each receives part of the strain,

while the springs upon the'V sides, .or those which stand at that time substantially horizontal, will be deiiected without the rollers changing their positions upon the track.

Another advantage arising from the usev of my invention, and which. is particularly evident in connect-ion with the drive wheels of automobiles, is that the lusual forward lurch of the body of the automobile, occurment with the axle, is largely absorbed .in' .the wheel springs, giving the car'body a in the c aims, I mean f Aung when the power 1s thrown into engagein the direction of the plane of rotation of the wheel,- as distinguished from a movement in the direction ofthe axis of rotation of the wheel.

While my improvements are here described in connection with a specicfform of springs are ieXed longitudinallyv through y movement of the vhub and ri1n.`

y endless cam tracks secured to the rim, and

elliptical cam tracks securedv -to the rim, andy vehicle Wheel, I do not Wish to so limit the scope of my invention, 'many features of which are applicable to other forms of Wheels. l

Iclaim: l. In a vehicle Wheel, the combination/ With a hub, of a rim surrounding the hub,

springs secured to the hub at their inner' ends and extending at their outer ends Within said cam tracks, whereby said engagement with said tracks by av relative 3. In a vehicle Wheel, the combination with a hub, of` a rim surrounding the hub,

series of pairs of diverging leaf springsjinterposed between the hub and rim, `and means for connecting said pairs of springs to the hub and rim2 whereby the 'springs 1n each pair are longitudinally liexedftoward each 'other by a relative movement of the hub and rim. f v

4. In a vehicle Wheel, the combination with a hub, of a rim surrounding the hub, a plurality of pairs of diverging leaf springs secured to said hub, elliptical cam gui es secured to said rim, and rollers secured to` the outer ends vof the springs in each pair and engaging within one of said elliptical guldes, whereby each pair of springs Willbe deflected toward each other by a movement of the hub relatively to the rim. l

JOHN F. MITCHELL.'

Witnesses: J

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, W. T. JONES.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents eachfby addressing the Commissioner of Patents, l Washingt0n, D. C.

25 lelliptical cam tracks v`secured to the'rim, a 

